Crypto enthusiasts pooling ETH to facilitate evacuation of civilians from Gaza
Amidst the ongoing tensions between Gaza and Israel, a member of the Ethereum community named Kat has launched a creative and impactful campaign called ETH Evacuations. The main objective of this campaign is to help evacuate local families in Gaza and ensure their safety. In just 24 hours, the campaign has successfully raised over $55,000.
The need for this campaign arises from the escalated fighting in the Gaza strip, which began when Hamas-aligned militants entered Israel on October 7. This event has resulted in hundreds of thousands of Palestinians being displaced from their homes.
Leading the campaign is @Katalunia030, who previously held the position of head of product at Zora, a platform on the Ethereum network that focuses on creators. The campaign was officially launched on March 10 through ethevacuations.xyz, a website that enables direct donations in ETH to families in Gaza.
Since its inception, the campaign has gained significant momentum, with the crypto community actively participating in spreading the word. Kat herself has been actively involved in the campaign, not only by making donations but also by engaging in various charitable initiatives since her visit to the troubled nation in June 2023.
According to Kat, it costs approximately 1.5 ETH (equivalent to $5,000) for an adult and 0.5 ETH (equivalent to $2,000) for a child to safely cross the Gaza border via the Rafah crossing, the only passage between Egypt and Palestine. Anyone crossing through this route is required to pay “coordination fees,” which the campaign funds.
Initially, Kat started by assisting her friends and colleagues who were struggling to evacuate. As the campaign gained traction, she expanded its reach to the wider community. By March 13, the campaign successfully evacuated two families to safety.
The campaign has also received support from NFT artists who have pledged their assistance by listing collections to raise funds. For instance, an artist named troels_a launched the EVAC open edition project on Coinbase’s base network, with all proceeds going towards the education campaign. Another artist, known as ‘brian is online,’ launched three additional NFTs and promised to match the generated proceeds.
As of the latest update, the campaign has been live for 3.5 weeks and has raised over $100,000 in ETH. Interestingly, the donations were not limited to the Ethereum community, as they were received in multiple cryptocurrencies.
The most recent donation to the campaign was a generous 10 ETH, valued at approximately $32,868 at the time it was received. However, the identity of the donor remains unknown.
The campaign’s success also highlights the transparency offered by blockchain technology, which is crucial in philanthropic efforts, considering the presence of fraudulent activities in the name of charity.
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(This article was originally published on [source].)
